Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-06-16
A FORGOTTEN HEIR.
A Romance Developed at Minneap-
oils by the Settling OF an Estate.


oils by the settling OF an Estate.
About six months ago. says The Mn
neapolis Journal, the probate Judge was
petitoned to appoint "a guardian for
Dolly L. Pratt, a young miss of II, who
was claimed to be the daughter of the
late Stephen Pratt. The appointment
was made, and yesterday afternoon,
when the estate was before Probate
Judge Won Schlegel for final distribu-
ton, there was unusual interest on the
part of the family to see their new
found relative, for such she proved to
be. They had not given any credence
to her claims and were anxious TO hear
the story she might relate.
There were present yesterday Mrs.
Pratt, the second wife of the deceased,
and ii. G. Pratt, son by the first mar
riage. With Miss Dolly L. Pratt. as
she gave her name, were Mrs. Ii. j.
Hulett and Henry +. Fischer and wife.
of Maple Plain, and Miss Catherine
Zurich, midwife. who was present
when Miss Dolly was born seventeen
years ago.
The developments that followed were
The property of the late Stephen Pratt
consists of $4,000 personal property
and twenty-three acres of valuable
land on Western avenue, and the step
mother and son present had supposed
they were the only heirs. The son
could not recall that he ever had II sis
ter. He was confident that he had
never seen her, and thought that she
must be an mpostor. Mrs. Pratt was
equally confident, as she had never
heard her deceased husband mention
that he had another child. The parties
present with the new-found daughter
then told their story, which proves be-
yond question that Miss Dolly Pratt
is sister of III. G. Pratt, and that their
first meeting occurred yesterday.
Mrs. Ii. +. Hulett, resident of
Maple Plain, who has resided a the
county for forty years, and i'm Mime
apol except the last two years, said
she knew Stephen Pratt in Maine.
When he came to Minneapolis she was
10 years of age and then living here.
her parents having preceded him to
the western frontier. That was thirty
seven years ago. When Mr.. Pratt ar
>
board. He was then married to the
woman who afterward became the
mother of Dolly Pratt. After remain
ing there some time Mr. Pratt pur-
chased a farm on Plymouth avenue,
where he lived until his death, about n
year ago. In the summer of 1871.
said Mrs. Hulett, she worked at his
house for three months. She was then
Mrs. .Rosenkranz. and her home was
on the triangle near the Plymouth
avenue bridge. She left Mr.. Pratt's
in June. but before leaving Mr.. Pratt
arranged with her to care for his wife
at home during a period of confne-
ment then close at hand, and four
weeks before her illness Mrs. Pratt
was domiciled at Mrs. Rosenkranz'
house, Mr.. Pratt paying 50 week for
her support. About Sept. l the child
was born, Mrs. Zurich acting as nurse.
1t was a girl baby, and any hopes that
might have been entertained that the
newcomer would be of short life were
not realized, for the wee bit of humanity
prospered.
Mr.. Pratt paid his weekly allowance
until the babe was weeks old. and
th'H Sdiu He COuIu pay nO mOIc. NlEs.
Pratt then gave the child to Mrs. Hulett
Chen Rosenkranz) and told her to care
for it. Mrs. Hulett did not state why
her child was given her, but the little
one seemed to be unwelcome. With
the consent of her mother, the babe
was given to Mrs. Henry f. Fischer,
Of Maple Plain, then living in Mime.
apolis, and they have since cared for
her. Mrs. Hulett said she had seen
Dolly often, and had kept watch of
her for fifteen years. so that she knew
she was the same babe that she cared
for. Mr.. Fischer's people were told it
was Stephen Pratt's child.
Henry +. + scher related the circum-
stances attending the bringing of the
child to his house, and he had taken
care of her ever since. Mrs. Fischer
and the nurse, Mrs. Zurich, all told the
same story, and the new daughtef had
To be received into the family circle.
Her mother, Nancy Pratt. was married
to Stephen Pratt at Anoka in 1859. ss,a
The property that Miss Dolly will ac-
guire will amount to about $4,000.
The real estate consists of twentv-three
acres in section IL, townsh p 20, and
is valued at S4S, 900.